Historic & Cultural Resources - Madison County Council of ... Elwood/Plan Documents/ElwoodCompPlan2010_… · Historic & Cultural Resources 73 Comprehensive Plan 2010 ... The first

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Comprehensive Plan 2010 - 2030

Like most communities, Elwood has a long and rich history full of significant events and historical figures. The identification and preservation of these resources is important for a number of reasons. First, it provides an educational opportunity for a greater awareness of the history of Elwood to its citizens. Secondly, by rehabilitating and preserving historically significant structures, properties which might otherwise fall into disuse, can remain functional and have a positive economic impact on the City’s tax revenues. Third, a well designed and promoted preservation effort can enhance the Elwood’s attraction to tourists and visitors, further boosting the local economy. Finally, it can foster civic pride and preserve an appreciation for the historic values in which the City was founded.

The Early YearsIn 1852, William Barton opened a store in Pipe Creek Township near the banks of Duck Creek. A town dubbed Quincy soon grew at this location. The unincorporated town of Quincy was laid out by James Anderson, J.B. Frazier and Mark Simmons in March of 1853. In 1869, postmaster Francis M. Hunger was notified that Indiana already had a town in Owen County named Quincy. A group of men discussing the matter noticed Elwood, the son of Jesse B. Frazier, playing nearby. It was suggested that they give the town his name. On June 15, 1869, Quincy officially became known as Elwood. In 1872, Elwood was incorporated as a town.

In 1870, Captain R.L. Leeson, established arguably the most well-known store in Elwood at the corner of Main and Anderson Streets. A fire destroyed Leeson’s first two buildings, but in 1882, Leeson built a two-story building at the corner of South “A” and Anderson

9 Historic & C u l t u r a l Resources

Historic & Cultural Resources

Image 9.1: Elwood Opera House, Elwood, Indiana.

Image 9.2: Wendell Willkie memorial marker, Willkie Park, Elwood, Indiana.

Historic & CUltural Resources72

Elwood, Indiana

Streets. The department store, dubbed “Leeson’s”, was a one-stop shopping experience – one of the first of its kind, offering products such as furniture, floor coverings, shoes, clothing, jewelry, hosiery, patterns, dry goods, cosmetics, candy and grocery. Leeson’s finally closed in 1984. The building is still a productive part of the Central Business District as Village Furniture.

In 1874, the first factory in Elwood, a flax mill owned by John H. Wagner and Kidwell, was built. It was located at the corner of what is now Main and 22nd Streets. Three years later, the first newspaper in Elwood, The Elwood Review, was founded by George Winters. The single most important event in Elwood history occurred in 1887. The discovery of the Indiana Natural Gas Field took Elwood and other eastern

Indiana communities from small towns to industrial centers. In 1893, the field consisted of roughly 2,700 square miles, or over sixteen times the combined areas of all other known gas fields in the United States at that time. Gas was charged at a flat per month rate: ten cents for cooking, 75 cents for heating and five cents for each jumbo light in the house. Elwood’s population increased from 400 to 800 from 1877 to 1887. Three years later in 1890, the population was 2,229.

Gas Boom & Industrial GrowthIn 1892, Senator William McKinley of Ohio, who would later become President of the United States, helped to pass a tariff law that would favor the manufacture and exportation of tin. Shortly after, The American Tin Plate Company started on September 13, 1893 in Elwood, making the first tin ever manufactured in America. Part of the plant was shipped from Wales,

Figure 9.1: City of Elwood Business District

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and a group of Welsh immigrated to Elwood to staff the new plant. The plant soon increased to 28 hot mills, making it the first and largest plant of its kind in America. The plant was located on South “J” Street and was later called Carnegie Illinois Steel Company. It eventually closed its in 1938. At its height, the company employed over 1,800 people and the facilities covered twenty acres.

By 1893, Elwood had 45 industries including several glass works, furniture companies, boiler works and iron works. At this point, the population had grown to over 9,000 people. Numerous businesses, churches and homes were built around this time due to the population growth. By 1899, the Union Traction Company connected Elwood with Tipton, Alexandria and Anderson. By rail, one could leave Elwood every hour on the hour with almost any Indiana town or city as a destination.

Many of Elwood’s largest and most prosperous industries were glass factories which located here to utilize the inexpensive natural gas to fuel their operations. The largest of these was the Diamond Plate Glass Company located on 9th Street, which covered about fourteen acres and employed over 1,000 men. Eventually, Diamond Plate became Pittsburg Plate Glass. The population of Elwood reached 15,000 people by 1900, but soon after, the gas boom collapsed. Most of the factories left as did many of the people. At the turn of the century, the soil around Elwood was discovered to be perfect for growing tomatoes. That year, O.B. Frazier built the first canning factory in North Central Indiana. Later, Frazier’s Tomato Products became known worldwide, with “Frazier’s Superfine Catsup” being distributed to GIs during World Wars I & II. During its peak, the Frazier Packing Corporation disturbed approximately 500,000 cases of tomato products each year to all states east of the Rocky Mountains.

On August 17, 1940, Elwood native Wendell L. Willkie accepted the Republican nomination for President. An estimated 250,000 people came to Elwood for his ceremony. Willkie gave his speech at Callaway Park in sweltering temperatures nearing 100 degrees. Willkie lost the election to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Other notable residents over time include James J. Davis, who was city clerk of Elwood from 1898 to 1902. Later, he was the United States Secretary of Labor from 1921-30 under Presidents Warren

Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. Actor David Canary who first starred on the television series Bonanza, played the ranch foreman Candy Canaday from 1967-70 and then again from 1972-73, is from Elwood. He also played twins Adam and Stuart Chandler on All My Children from 1983 to 2010. He won 5 Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor. John Mengelt, a ten year NBA veteran and contemporary poet Jared Carter are also from Elwood.

Historic DistrictElwood’s Historic District consists of the downtown Central Business District and two single-family residences immediately adjacent to the district. This area is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Interim ReportThere are several buildings listed in the interim report not in Elwood’s Historic District. Most of these properties are homes located along State Road 13 south of Main Street to South “P” Street. There are additional houses and commercial establishments along Main Street west of State Road 13 to North 6th Street. In addition, there are some scattered sites throughout the city on various streets.

Figure 9.2: City of Elwood Interim Report


Elwood, Indiana

Cultural Resources Aside from the restored Elwood Opera House, there is a lack of cultural resources in Elwood. However, there are several options within a short driving distance. In nearby Anderson, there are art exhibits and art classes at the Anderson Center for Fine Arts. The Madison County Historical Society and the Paramount Theater, which continues to hold events, are also in Anderson. The City of Muncie is home to Ball State University as well as Minnetrista, an extensive nature and gardens area that also hosts history, nature and art exhibits and workshops. Thirty minutes away in the Town of Fishers, Conner Prairie Interactive History Park is a living museum and the Indiana Transportation Museum can be found in the City of Noblesville. The State Capitol, Indianapolis, where several museums, monuments, universities, concert halls, art galleries, and sports facilities are located, is less than an hour drive from Elwood.

Planning for the FutureDowntowns represent the heart and soul of their respective community. Visitors and residents alike are affected by the physical conditions of downtown areas and tend to draw conclusions regarding a city’s commitment to community development and pride from what they see and experience within the city center. A downtown should be able to appeal to all ages and backgrounds. A downtown should be active past the 9 to 5 work day. Unfortunately, Elwood appears lacking in many of these things that make a downtown pulsating.

Today, the population of Elwood is nearly half of what it was in the early 20th Century. When the natural gas bust of 1903 occurred, many of the industries left the City and with them so did the people. Soon after, the automobile became the dominant form of transportation of both people and goods. The northwest-southeast rail line, one of the main railroads in the City, became obsolete making Elwood even more isolated than before. With the automobile being able to carry people further and faster, Elwood’s downtown was no longer the only viable destination for shopping and entertainment.

The first major problem facing Elwood’s Central Business District is the number of building and land vacancies. Several of the first floor shops in the downtown are empty and several tracts of land where buildings one stood have been demolished. These lots are overgrown with weeds, gravel, and trash. Because of this, the vision of a high-density, compact downtown is lost. The majority of studies conclude

that it costs considerably less to provide linear services (sewer, water, streets) to a dense, efficient development pattern than to a sprawling pattern. However, land costs outside of the city center remain low. When the economy of Elwood began to recede, private developers began building commercial areas on the outskirts of the City. While Elwood’s downtown is getting by, strip malls and other businesses at the southern edge of the City as well as the intersection of State Road 28 and State Road 37 and the intersection of State Road 37 and County Road 1100 North are doing considerably better.

There is also a large amount of paved land and parking lots for a small downtown that already has plenty of on-street parking. An analysis of the downtown parcels reveals there is nearly a 50/50 split of building footprints to parking lots. This creates a low density suburban downtown which does not support housing and a variable mix of businesses. In addition, there is very little public space or green space in the downtown that serves as a destination for residents. In addition, strong retail destinations are sparse. The newly reconstructed CVS Pharmacy is the largest draw downtown. Papa John’s is a popular pizza chain, but because of the option to deliver, not many people have to go into the downtown to get it. Circle City Pizza remains a popular local destination while other local retail shops are struggling. Specialty destinations such as Horton’s Do-It Best, Village Furniture, Moser Jewelers, and CJ’s Dog Salon maintain steady clienteles. Non-retail destinations remain consistent with two banks, the government center, the library and two churches.

Lastly there is a lack of residential units on second floors in downtown buildings. Loft apartments and similar residences help downtowns thrive because it gives the businesses a 24-hour customer base. These mainly pedestrian customers need to be able to get their necessities within a close proximity of their residence.

Most of the pubs and bars are located outside the city center. The Elwood Opera House is used mainly for weddings and proms. While the Opera House doubled as a movie theater in the mid 20th century, currently the closest movie theaters to Elwood are in Tipton and Alexandria.



Figure 9.3: Parking and Buildings in Elwood’s Historic District


Elwood, Indiana

Figure 9.4: Land Use in Elwood’s Historic District



Figure 9.5: City of Elwood U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Map

IssuesThe following issues were identified during the background data collection, community surveys, and public, focus group and steering committee meetings.

• Elwood lacks residential units in the central business district preventing the downtown from being a 24 hour center of activity.

• Elwood has a limited mix of retail and entertainment destinations in the central business districtpreventing the downtown from being a 24-hr center of activity.

• Elwood’s central business district has a high percentage of vacancies and turnover of businesses.

• Elwood does not have design guidelines to protect the historical integrity of the historic district or scattered historic homes.

• Elwood has a large amount of vacant and underutilized space in there central business district.

• Elwood has limited cultural, fine art, and museum destinations within the City.


Elwood, Indiana

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